Hall, Russell & Company, Limited was a

shipbuilder Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

based in

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

, Scotland.

History

Brothers James and William Hall, Thomas Russell, a

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

engineer, and James Cardno Couper founded the company in 1864 to build steam engines and boilers. In 1866 the company built its first iron steamship, the ''Douglas'', for the Hong Kong shipowner Douglas Lapraik. Like most shipyards of their era, Hall Russell built ships first using iron and later changing to steel. In 1944–45 Hall, Russell built five coasters under sub-contract for the Burntisland Shipbuilding Company of

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

: hull numbers 773, 776, 781, 785 and 788. In 1956–57 Hall, Russell built two more coasters for Burntisland: hull 750 launched as SS ''Winga'' and hull 857 launched as William Cory & Son's MV ''Corsea''. In 1977 the company became part of the nationalised British Shipbuilders Corporation. £2 million was invested to construct a covered shipbuilding hall over the two largest building berths. Equipped with two overhead travelling cranes, it was able to accommodate the construction of ships of up to 8,000 tonnes. At 121 metres in length, 46 metres wide and 30 metres high it was the largest single storey building in Aberdeen and was completed in 1982. Hall Russell was returned to the private sector in 1986 as part of the dismantling of the British Shipbuilders group. Having been placed in receivership in 1988, it came under the ownership of A&P Appledore International in 1989, as A&P Appledore International (Aberdeen). However, it had been classed by the Government as a naval shipbuilder, despite traditionally producing fishing vessels and small cargo ships, and closed in 1992. HMS Starling P241

In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Hall Russell built a number of

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

s and s. After the war the company built fishing vessels, cargo ships and naval patrol craft. The last vessel completed at the yard was the , launched in 1989 and delivered in 1990. The most widely known ship built by Hall Russell was MV ''Sir William Hardy''. Launched in 1955, she was the first diesel-electric all-refrigerated trawler built in the UK. Refurbished by

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...

, she was renamed on 29 April 1978 the '' Rainbow Warrior''. She was bombed by French agents in New Zealand 10 July 1985. Her masts currently stand outside the

Dargaville Dargaville () is a town located in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the bank of the Northern Wairoa River (Northland), Wairoa River in the Kaipara District of the Northland Region, Northland region. Dargaville is located south ...

Museum in the upper North Island, New Zealand. They were builder of Island-class OPV. The class is still in active service with

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy () is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for the defence of Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area from any external threat, the security of sea ports and exclusive economic zones of Ban ...

MY Steve Irwin The MY ''Steve Irwin'' is a motor vessel that previously was the flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and was used in their direct action campaigns against whaling and against illegal fisheries activities. The vessel was built in ...

was the flagship of the

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is a non-profit, marine conservation activism organization based in Friday Harbor, Washington, Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington, in the United States. Sea Shepherd employs direct action t ...

, and was used in their

direct action Direct action is a term for economic and political behavior in which participants use agency—for example economic or physical power—to achieve their goals. The aim of direct action is to either obstruct a certain practice (such as a governm ...

campaigns against

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

and against illegal fisheries activities. They were also builder of Castle-class OPV. The ships of the class are now in active service with Bangladesh Navy. These are now reclassified as

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

s by the Bangladesh Navy.

Gallery

File:Hall, Russell and Co brass plaque.jpg, Hall, Russell and Co brass plaque File:Bangladesh Navy Ship Sangu (P-713).jpg, BNS Sangu operating in the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...

File:MY Steve Irwin-Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.jpg,

moored in

West India Docks The West India Docks are a series of three docks, quaysides, and warehouses built to import goods from, and export goods and occasionally passengers to, the British West Indies. Located on the Isle of Dogs in London, the first dock opened in 18 ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, 2011

References and sources

;References ;Sources * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Russell and Company Companies based in Aberdeen Defunct shipbuilding companies of Scotland Companies established in 1864 1864 establishments in Scotland Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1992 Ships built by Hall, Russell & Company British companies established in 1864 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1864 British Shipbuilders

History

Gallery

See also

References and sources